Although I am extremely happy and satisfied with my Fairphone, I find it a bit slow lately. To monitor what might be the problem, I installed Clean Master, which now tells me that my "device is performing poorly"and that 90% of RAM is used.
Anyone experiencing similar issues? And more importantly, anyone know what I could do to improve this issue?
Did not use CleanMaster, but noticed that the startup procedure seems to take longer since the update to 1.6. The last/most used app takes quite a while to show the apps on reboot.
I had a hunch that unifying partitions might have caused this, as now a larger system partition would have to be mounted. After your observation of running out of RAM, Iām starting to doubt thatā¦
Iāve noticed my phone is using up a lot of RAM all the time at the moment, canāt seem to find anything in particular that is running that is causing it
Iāve been having this issue for quite a while now, from well before the latest update. It doesnāt seem to have gotten worse though (after the update).
Firstly: Using a lot of ram is not bad as long as the phone feels snappy, it is actually a good think since unused ram is wasted ram ;-).
Still if a particulary apps eats all your systems ram, the first step will be to figure out which app that is. Go to Settings, choose Apps (look in Device section) and swipe to Running. Here you see a list of apps currently in Ram. Without Google Apps, on my device 511MB are used just for services and background apps. Largest here is K-9 Mail with 30MB. (Settings takes 49 MB but is active atm). Other notable apps are Contacts (11MB) and Keyboard (24MB).
Take a look there and if you find anything suspecious or have more qustions, feel free to report here. Good Luck!
Well, I wouldnāt call my phone snappy at all! 
I also had a look in the list of running apps, and while doing that I got another Clean Master message. The list looks like this:
:-S
Used RAM space is not only āRunning appsā. Directly after reboot my FP indicates 349 MB of RAM used, while āRunning appsā come to 126. One should probably add āCached processesā (150 MB in my case) plus that the system always occupies RAM when running.
āCached processesā shouldnāt be a problem since most of them will shut down and disappear when some active app needs that amount of RAM (at least thatās how I understand UNIX-based systems such as Linux and Android).
However, itās clear that FP1 is not a top of the range device, and 1GB RAM (although top of the range just two years ago) might have become insufficient for those that wants to be continuously hooked up to Facebook &c - I note that, in karinslegerās example, Facebook + messenger alone takes 10 % of RAM. Also, the Swype keyboard consumes a lot (my own only occupies 4 MB).
Itās one of the reasons why I donāt use apps for Facebook or Twitter. Their mobile websites allow me to do anything I want to do (even use the Facebook messenger functionality, which has been stripped from the Facebook app). The only thing Iām missing out on are notifications, but I donāt need those anyway.
In the browser, Iāve simply opened Facebook or Twitter (or other websites I use frequently) and bookmark it. Then I add a bookmark widget to my homescreen to these bookmarks. The widget is simply the websiteās icon with the name of the bookmark, so it looks the same as any other app icon. It just opens the website in my browser rather than the app.
I could remove Facebook, perhaps. Although I would like to think that my smartphone can handle a couple of social media appsā¦ Iām an avid user of Twitter lists, so I donāt really like to use the website for that reason (too many steps to reach the lists).
I doubt it has something to do with the RAM.
From your list, you should have about half of your RAM free (give or take some MB, and already assuming some cached apps). I, for one have about 400 MB of free ram. When I throw out all cached data (by holding the home key and then tapping the icon on the upper left), itās about 500 MB. That should be enough to feel āsnappyā (which is does in most cases, but not all.)
However, the notion of removing Facebook from your device can only be supported. Your on-line life might develop in totally new ways, and could even feel more snappy! (SNCR. 
)
Another thought (not having any experience of CleanMaster): Could it be that CMs settings could/should be adjusted? E.g. if CM is set to 512 MB RAM size it will of course warn that 90 % is consumed when 450 MB is used (no matter that 550 is left)?
It doesnāt sound likely, I admit - the app ought to adjust to actual RAM size on its own - but one never knows.
CleanMaster does know the accurate RAM size (you made my hopes going up though, @kgha!).
Also, every time I check (besides when I get the 90%+ notifications, I only have 12-15% RAM free. I frequently removed cached data too, but if I believe CleanMaster new junk and cache data keeps adding up all the timeā¦
Maybe I should try another monitor than CleanMaster. Maybe CleanMaster is more of a āthe glass is half emptyā kind-of-app
I would even suggest that you just uninstall CM and see what happens. Normally you shouldnāt need to wipe your RAM. If you have an app running in the background (but not active) and a new app needs space, the background app will be shut down automatically (at least thatās whatās supposed to happen).
An app that cleans the cache of (other) apps can be useful, though. However, a huge cache (in your browser app for instance) only affects your storage space, not your RAM space.
Exactly the answer I was waiting for!
Linux has quite a smart memory manager; no need to worry about (free) RAM.
And anyway: you paid dearly for the RAM, so why not use it all? Not used RAM is a waste of money and precious materials!. And thatās exactly what Linux does.
I would do that. Maybe CleanMaster only makes the problem worse. Do you have any other proctection, optimization or Antivirus apps installed?
While you free to remove cached data, this does not improve the perfomance of you phone, it only uses storage, not ram. In fact would believe a well programmed app uses cache to speed thinks up. Also remember that force closing chaed apps might have the exactly other effect in slowing things down because they are restarted etc.
Me to, adding all these up together gives me 333MB, even so there is enough buffer for the smalled apps and system processes.
Noticing too late: I fact @kgha has said everything already.
Thanks for thinking along guys! Iāve now removed CM (and Iāve even replaced Facebook and a few other apps with a browser shortcut, although Iām not too happy with that).
I donāt have any other protection or anti virus apps installed. Should Iā¦?
While I have no previous experience with these kind of apps, Iām now using avast! Mobile Security. Simply because thatās what I use on my Laptop as well and Iām very happy with it so far.
Whether itās necessary, Iād rather be safe than sorry. But maybe others have more insight into that 
I agree completely, which is why I have had AVG AV on my phone for years (before getting my FP). AVGs PC version has become too bloated, though, so there Iāve replaced AVG with Bitdefender and right now Iām trying Bitdefender for android as well.
Itās a safety measure - apps, emails and text messages are scanned, plus that an AV programme often gives you status information and permits you to clear the cache of apps should you want it (can often be scheduled).
EDIT: returned to AVG - turned out that Bitdefenderās free version did not scan text messages or e-mail.
Thats completly your choice, as the opinions concerning that are mixed. I donāt have. If you like me only install apps from trusted sources like Google Play and Fdroid, it would say it is not really necessary.
I was asking because they are known to be quite āresource hungryā.
I agree that an Android phone is far less vulnerable than, say, a PC running Windows. Still, the Google PlayStore is not 100 % safe, infected apps have passed through their system. Plus that text messages can contain malware.
In my experience the AV apps for Android does not slow down the phone noticeable - a huge difference if you compare them to Norton or AVG for windows. AVG on my phone uses 45 MB RAM which is neither here nor there.